title: Curcumin inhibits the proliferation of airway smooth muscle cells in vitro and in vivo.
abstract: The inhibition of the proliferation of airway smooth muscle cells (ASMCs) is crucial for the prevention and treatment of asthma. Recent studies have revealed some important functions of curcumin; however, its effects on the proliferation of ASMCs in asthma remain unknown. Therefore, in this study, we performed in vitro and in vivo experiments to investigate the effects of curcumin on the proliferation of ASMCs in asthma. The thickness of the airway wall, the airway smooth muscle layer, the number of ASMCs and the expression of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) were significantly reduced in the curcumin-treated group as compared with the model group. Curcumin inhibited the cell proliferation induced by platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) and decreased the PDGF-induced phosphorylation of ERK1/2 in the rat ASMCs. Moreover, the disruption of caveolae using methyl-β-cyclodextrin (MβCD) attenuated the anti-proliferative effects of curcumin in the ASMCs, which suggests that caveolin is involved in this process. Curcumin upregulated the mRNA and protein expression of caveolin-1. The data presented in this study demonstrate that the proliferation of ASMCs is inhibited by curcumin in vitro and in vivo; curcumin exerts these effects by upregulating the expression of caveolin-1 and blocking the activation of the ERK pathway.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510182, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Xin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zeng
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.forename: Yuejun
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Qu
authors.forename: Jide
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Zhiyuan
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: Tingting
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D056151:Airway Remodeling / Q000187:drug effects; D000818:Animals; D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001249:Asthma / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D001980:Bronchi / Q000166:cytology*; D051242:Caveolin 1 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D003474:Curcumin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D048049:Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000187:drug effects; D008168:Lung / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D051379:Mice; D032389:Myocytes, Smooth Muscle / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism*; D010047:Ovalbumin / Q000009:adverse effects; D010982:Platelet-Derived Growth Factor / Q000494:pharmacology; D061251:Primary Cell Culture; D021381:Protein Transport; D012130:Respiratory Hypersensitivity / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; D051242:Caveolin 1; D010982:Platelet-Derived Growth Factor; D010047:Ovalbumin; D048049:Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases; D003474:Curcumin